Tar Heels in NFL: Sam Howell throws for one TD, runs for another to lead Washington victory

There was room to grow for Washington quarterback Sam Howell in his first NFL start as QB1 on Sunday, but at least he got a victory. Howell rebounded from an interception and a costly fumble to throw for one touchdown and run for another as the Commanders earned a 20–16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in the opener for both teams.

Heels fall in both Top 25 polls after needing two OTs to beat App State

Carolina’s thrilling 40–34 double-overtime victory over Appalachian State didn’t impress AP voters enough for the Tar Heels to move up in the Top 25 poll. Barely beating a Sun Belt Conference team cost them in the rankings. UNC (2–0) fell three spots to No. 20 in the latest AP Top 25, released Sunday afternoon, heading into its 3:30 Saturday game against Minnesota (2–0) in a game that ESPN will televise.

Brown says league expansion focuses too much on money, not enough on players, families and fans

Mack Brown says college sports decision-makers make big moves with an eye on money, with little consideration of the other effects of the changes. The veteran North Carolina coach says that one of those times was Friday, when the ACC college presidents voted to add Stanford, Cal and SMU to the league over the objections of his school’s leadership.

Phillips says UNC would only go to California once every two years in football and twice every four years in basketball

As ACC adds Stanford and Cal beginning in the 2024–25 school year, the first concern should be for the athletes who must routinely take cross-country flights while also being students. The travel sounds daunting because it is. But there are scheduling models that could make it easier.

UNC would have chance of winning it all every year, keep rivalries in a 96-school ‘National College Football League’

No, the seven continents are not breaking apart and re-forming. But the nation’s big-time college sports conferences are, wrecking to shreds the Pac-12 and putting into doubt the long-term future of the Atlantic Coast Conference. What if football were to break away entirely, and become literally its own thing, with its own organizational and competitive structure?

Is Hubert Davis following Krzyzewski’s scheduling philosophy?

For years, Mike Krzyzewski never scheduled true road non-conference games, only playing them in the defunct ACC/Big Ten Challenge. His Duke teams still faced tough opponents away from Cameron Indoor Stadium, but at neutral sites. Many wondered why Krzyzewski didn’t schedule road tests for his team before ACC play. Part of his strategy seemed to be to simulate an NCAA tournament game atmosphere.

Maye ACC Preseason Player of Year, leads three Tar Heels on Preseason All-ACC team

Quarterback Drake Maye, last season’s ACC Player of the Year, leads three Carolina players on the preseason All-ACC team announced Wednesday on UNC’s first day of practice and is the Preseason Player of the Year. Joining the 6–4, 230-pound redshirt sophomore are 6–2½, 200-pound Kent State junior transfer wide receiver Tez Walker and 6–2½, 235-pound senior linebacker Cedric Gray. The Tar Heels’ three selections were the third-most after seven for league favorite Clemson and four for Florida State.